Nursing needs policy, it provides the context to nurses' practice, roles, and knowledge and frames patients' day-to-day lives. This article defines what is meant by policy and what influences its development. With the use of health policy examples, the implications for nursing are explained and ideas on how policy is implemented in practice set out. As health is a devolved issue policy comparisons are made between the four regions of the UK. Finally, the implications of current policy change on nursing roles and skill mix shows how future developments in the nursing profession are being directed.
Health policy frames our professional roles; it defines nursing practice and knowledge, prioritises and targets resources and directly impacts on our patients' day-to-day lives. Nurses might argue that we ‘don't do policy’ but, in the highly politicised setting of the NHS, when nurses are in the front line of health policy delivery, this is
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